Dining Noise & Hospitality

I don't know if you've noticed lately, but whenever you go somewhere for a nice meal out with a friend or two, the noise level has been rising considerably! People can't hear each other and the strain of conducting a conversation takes all the pleasure out of eating out. There was a story in the Washington Post on Sunday about this: "No Appetite for Noise," and it describes why the noise levels in restaurants have been rising. Here's an excerpt:

"A certain level of noise people consider to be exciting or good energy," says Tim Zagat, the guide's founder. "Once it gets so loud you can't hear yourself chew, it's over the top."

The cause of the clatter is just about everywhere a diner glances these days. In a restaurant's hard floors. On its naked tables. At the high ceilings. In other words, the blame for all the noise comes from the clean, slick and modern look favored by so many restaurant operators and their customers . . .

I think this raises an important point and shows a reason why hospitality is so important. Shouting at each other in groups is OK every now and then, but when you want to have a good, serious conversation, sometimes you just can't do that at a restaurant. There are definitely times when you go somewhere for great food and and deep conversation might not necessarily be a priority, but most of us go out because we want to be spending quality time with someone over food, investing in them and in the relationship. I think it's just something to think about, and to ask ourselves if what we are expecting is really going to occur at certain restaurants. My hope is that I can be more open in my own life to have others over, share a meal, and engage in deep truth conversation that arises because we are honoring Scripture and giving our hearts a rest in a noisy world.